12 Gifts for the Minimalist Cyclist
With so many people these days taking a minimalist approach to life, you may need to get especially creative when it comes to gift giving. Consider special experiences or heartfelt favors for the cyclists in your life who eschew material things.
Here are 12 ideas to spark your creativity. It should go without saying, but we’ll say it anyway – with the current COVID-19 health crisis, limit the up close ‘n personal ideas to those in your immediate household or give a hand-made coupon to redeem when safe to do so.
Invite them on a bike ride, then treat them to a post-ride meal or beverage at their favorite eatery, brew pub, or coffeehouse.
Offer to give their bike a thorough cleaning, and perhaps even top off the air in their tires, lube the chain, and tighten down any loose parts.
Put together a selection of their favorite electrolyte tablets, energy bars and chews.
Make a home cooked meal, followed by a bike movie and popcorn. Our favorite streamable bike flicks include: Return to Earth, NotBad, Not2Bad, Semenuk’s Rad Company, UnReal, Ride the Divide, Seasons, ROAM, Life Cycles, Where the Trail Ends, North of Nightfall, and Klunkerz.
Give a massage — whether you give a gift certificate to a local massage therapist, or do the massage yourself, their aching muscles will be grateful for such a thoughtful gift.
Shuttle ‘em — although Epicenter Shuttle is currently closed due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can still purchase gift cards good for when we re-open … or shuttle your loved one yourself; a ride “to the top” is sure to be a big hit.
Gather an assortment of utilitarian items such as chamois cream, chain lube, bike wash, tire sealant, tire plugs, and other necessities that cyclists quickly run out of.
Fill their fridge with burritos and beer or cider.
Sign them up for a Zwift virtual training membership (or renew their current plan).
Give the gift of time — offer to clean the house, get their kids out on a hike, take their dog for a walk, do their grocery shopping and/or laundry … so they have the opportunity to go for an enjoyable ride.
Make a donation in their honor to a local cycling organization such as Mountain Bikers of Santa Cruz (MBOSC), Monterey Off-Road Cycling Association (MORCA), Girls Rock Women’s Mountain Biking, Community Bike Collective (formerly Trips for Kids Santa Cruz), Bike Santa Cruz County, Ecology Action, Santa Cruz County Cycling Club (SCCCC), or Cyclists for Cultural Exchange.
Give them an Epicenter gift card that can be used for any one of the following useful services:
Bike tune-up or overhaul
Mountain bike suspension service: basic or overhaul
Bike repair to fix something that’s keeping them off their bike, or maintenance such as a wheel true or drivetrain deep cleaning
Bicycle fitting: basic, full, or SCORE Physical Therapy fit
As you can see, there are plenty of gift ideas for the minimalist cyclist in your life. Bonus points for sustainability … use fabric gift bags, make a “coupon” book, reuse wrappings and ribbons, and create your own cards to make the gift especially unique!